Methods and systems for fast upgrade or reboot for network device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to protocol state transition and/or resource state transition tracker configured to monitor, e.g., via filters, for certain protocol state transitions/changes or host hardware resource transitions/changes when a host processor in the control plane that performs such monitoring functions is unavailable or overloaded. The filters, in some embodiments, are pre-computed/computed by the host processor and transmitted to the protocol state transition and/or resource state transition tracker. The protocol state transition and/or resource state transition tracker may be used to implement a fast upgrade operation as well as load sharing and or load balancing operation with control plane associated components.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method to perform a fast upgrade or reboot operation comprising:
 pre-computing or receiving, by a host CPU of a network device, one or more filters each configured to monitor for a protocol or resource state transition in a received packet during an unavailable state of the host CPU; 
 transmitting, by the host CPU, over a bus interconnect, to a processor unit or logic circuit of the data-plane of the network device, the filter; 
 tracking, by the processor unit or logic circuit, a given protocol state and/or resource state transitions of the control-plane in the received packet using the filter executing on the processor unit or logic circuit when the host CPU is in an unavailable state; and 
 updating, by the host CPU, a data-plane-associated tables of a switch-fabric of the network device based on the tracking when the host CPU is in an available state. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host CPU is configured, by instructions, to perform control-plane operations that manage and maintain the plurality of data-plane-associated tables. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processor unit or logic circuit is configured to:
 identify a received LACP PDU indicating a down-channel link of a peer network device; and 
 update the data-plane that a link aggregation channel associated with peer network device is down. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processor unit or logic circuit is configured to:
 monitor for (i) a specified protocol state transition in at least one of a received control packet and (ii) a specific resource state transition; and 
 update the data-plane with pre-computed data-plane entries when specified protocol state transition or the specific resource state transition is detected. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host CPU is configured to pre-compute the filter prior to the host CPU entering into the unavailable or overloaded state. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host CPU is configured to receive the filter over a network interface. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the filter is configured to identify a LACP PDU indicating a protocol state or resource state change of the logical channel, or one or more links within the channel. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the filter is configured to identify a BPDU indicating a Spanning Tree Protocol topology-change notification (TCN) message. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the filter is configured to identify a hardware resource transition change. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processor unit or logic circuit is implemented in a packet classification engine, a packet-inspection engine, deep-packet inspection engine, an embedded micro-controller in data-plane, and/or ACL TCAMs located within a component of the data-plane. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processor unit or logic circuit is implemented in a device external to the data plane device. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tracked protocol state and/or resources are used by the host CPU to update the data-plane of a detected protocol state and/or resources when the host CPU transitions from the unavailable or overloaded state to an available state. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 updating the host CPU when the host CPU is in the unavailable state. 
 
     
     
       14. A system to perform a fast upgrade or reboot operation, the system comprising:
 a processor unit or logic circuit of a data-plane of the system, the processor unit or logic circuit configured, with instructions, to:
 receive a plurality of filters computed by a host CPU local to the system each of the plurality of filters configured to monitor for a protocol or resource state transition in a received packet during an unavailable state of the host CPU; and 
 track, via the plurality of filters, protocol state and/or resource state transitions of the control-plane when the host CPU is in an unavailable state; and 
 output the tracked protocol state and/or resource state transitions to update a plurality of data-plane associated tables based on the tracking when the host CPU is in an available state. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the host CPU is configured, by instructions, to perform control-plane operations that manage and maintain the plurality of data-plane-associated tables. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the processor unit or logic circuit is configured, by the plurality of filters, to:
 identify a received LACP PDU indicating a down-channel link of a peer network device; and 
 update the data-plane that a link aggregation channel associated with peer network device is down. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the processor unit or logic circuit is configured, by the plurality of filters, to:
 monitor for (i) a specified protocol state transition in at least one of a received control packet and (ii) a specific resource state transition; and 
 update the data-plane with pre-computed data-plane entries when specified protocol state transition or the specific resource state transition is detected. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the filter is configured to identify at least one of:
 a LACP PDU indicating a protocol state or resource state change of the logical channel, or one or more links within the channel; 
 a BPDU indicating a Spanning Tree Protocol topology-change notification (TCN) message; and 
 a hardware resource transition change. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the processor unit or logic circuit is implemented in a packet classification engine, a packet-inspection engine, deep-packet inspection engine, an embedded micro-controller in data-plane, and/or ACL TCAMs located within a component of the data-plane.